


Edge of Town

by cherrybombjoons



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fraternities & Sororities, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Will tag as I go along, gender non binary jungwoo, queer women are Coming dont worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-04 09:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14589762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybombjoons/pseuds/cherrybombjoons
Summary: Ten, Taeyong and Jungwoo are tired of The Frat Boys who live behind them being loud and obnoxious. When an attempt at problem solving goes wrong, a full-fledged rivalry is waged between the two homes. Ten is determined to get his revenge on Johnny Seo, Taeyong tries his best not to vomit and Jungwoo honestly thinks Yukhei is not that ugly.





	1. An Open Letter

**Author's Note:**

> hi, this is my first fic for nct and on this account so i hope y'all enjoy ! also heads up jungwoo is gnc and uses they/them pronouns! title name inspired by edge of town by middle kids!

         “Ten.”

         “Mm?”

         “I don’t think this is what President McNaire meant when she said to email her if you run into any problems. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s not—.” Taeyong gets cut off as Ten rounds on him in his swivel chair with incredulity in his eyes and his hands raised, fingers spread.

         “If not now then when? If not us, then who?” Ten splutters, red faced. Taeyong rubs his fingers across his own hairline and tries to level his breathing from where he sits on the arm of the crushed-velvet couch in their living room. Ten had been clacking at the keyboard of their shared laptop for almost half an hour before Taeyong had built up the patience to broach the subject of The Email with him. Jungwoo is snuggled into the couch cushions smiling contently, phone in hand, seemingly pleased with the outcome of the conversation thus far. Taeyong looks at Jungwoo for help with a pleading exprssion only to have Jungwoo shrug their shoulders sweetly before returning to their mindless scrolling. Ten is still staring at Taeyong expectedly.   

         “I just don’t think she is going to care much about how loud the parties being thrown behind us are. I mean, they’re frat boys. Being loud is what they do,” Taeyong explains to Ten while picking at the frayed knee of his jeans.

         “So you suggest we allow stereotypes to continue to perpetuate themselves? We should allow The Frat Boys to be loud because, what? ‘Boys will be boys’? For shame, Taeyongie.” Ten rallies back and Taeyong feels his patience waning rapidly. Jungwoo giggles. Ten’s eyebrows have climbed extremely high on his forehead. 

         “No, no. I just think we should take matters into our own hands. Passive aggressively being loud the morning after their parties to aggravate their hangovers hasn’t worked yet so perhaps we should consider being more…confrontational,” Taeyong suggests and Ten scoffs.

         “Confrontational? Taeyong, sweetie, what do you know about being confrontational,” Ten snarks with a small twist of his lip. Taeyong folds his arms and huffs.

          “I can confront people when the need arises. I’ve-I’ve confronted professors and—and others,” Taeyong fumbles and Ten raises a neat eyebrow at him. “At least I’m not trying to tattle to the president of our college. You know she probably never even looks at her emails, right?” Taeyong’s thin chest is heaving slightly now and Ten looks like he’s got a lemon slice wedged between his teeth. Ten opens his mouth to fire back before softly from the stomach of the couch:

         “A letter.” Ten and Taeyong turn to where Jungwoo’s dark head is peering out from the pink and yellow blanket they had pulled off the back of the couch and onto their lithe frame. Their phone is still in their hands and they have a faraway look of inspiration fixed onto their pretty face.

         “What, Woo?” Ten asks in a tone softer than that of the one he had just had with Taeyong. Ten and Taeyong, for all the love and years of friendship shared between the two, were notorious for bickering with one another over things that were both asinine and irrelevant. Jungwoo is for all intents and purposes their love child, brought to them by the miracle of life that was the college’s LGBTQ+ Student Organization. The two had harbored a soft spot for the youngest since their first time attending a meeting with chin-length black hair and sweet, skittish eyes. Since then the pair had taken them as their own. There was an unspoken rule that Jungwoo was never to be spoken to with a raised voice. The fact that Ten was able to soften his typically razor-edged tongue for the younger was a testament to his love for Jungwoo.

         “I think that we should type up a letter talking about what is upsetting us and give it to The Frat Boys. That way we can make sure we get what we have to say out there without having to worry about you know, our personalities.” Jungwoo says with a pretty pull to their lips.

         “Our personalities?” Taeyong asks with a titled head. Jungwoo giggles, again.

          “You know. Ten would yell and hurt someone’s feelings, you’d probably nervous-vomit and, I don’t know, I’d probably end up flirting with one of them.” Ten fake wretched while Taeyong vocalized his outrage.

      “Woo, are you joking? They all look like they smell like the bottom of a middle-school lunch table.”  

      “I have not nervous vomited in a long time!"

      Jungwoo giggles.

      “Yong, you vomited last week because Ten told you who died in Infinity War.” Ten’s eyes widen and he becomes ashen while Jungwoo focuses his attention on Ten. “Didn’t I snap you the video of that one boy doing jumping jacks in the backyard? I thought he was pretty cute.”

      “Jungwoo, didn’t that video end with him vomiting in a bush?” Ten asks and Jungwoo shrugs a shoulder.

      “Can we please stop talking about vomiting?” Taeyong demands, looking green while white-knuckling the back of the couch.

      “Yes, let’s talk about poisoning The Frat Boys's water supply.”     

      “No,” Taeyong and Jungwoo decline in unison. 

      “Then, let’s talk about writing a letter to The Frat Boys,” Ten says moodily. Jungwoo makes a happy noise of agreement and Ten moves to sit between the other two.

      “Dear Ass Clowns.”

      “No.” Taeyong vetoes.

      “Dear Cute Vomiting Boy and His Friends.”

      “Woo, baby, no.” Taeyong says while carding his hand through Jungwoo’s soft hair. Jungwoo shrugs again. They finish writing the letter after an hour of Taeyong telling Ten he can’t threaten The Frat Boys and tersely advising Jungwoo that they can’t seal the letter with a lipstick kiss. 

      “Alright, well, I’m off,” Ten says as he snatches the pink-envelope enclosed letter up, tucks it into the waistband of his shorts and makes to pull on a pair of scuffed Doc Martens.

      “You? No, why you?” Taeyong asks with a scrunched up face. Jungwoo has tied up Taeyong’s bangs into a cute waterfall and the two look cute sitting side by side, Taeyong with his light pink hair tangling up against Jungwoo’s navy bangs where their heads are touching. Ten pulls his phone out of his back pocket, snaps a picture of the two of them and is flipping through filters when he answers.

       “Because, you’ll do your vomit thing and Jungwoo will try and suck the genitals of a Frat Boy and as much as them may want that for themselves it is not what we want for our child. Do you agree?” Ten decides on a filter that has his Bitmoji throwing hearts overtop the picture of the pair while Taeyong grumbles in agreement. Jungwoo nuzzles their head into Taeyong’s neck and Ten turns to leave before Jungwoo calls out to him softly. 

      “Yes, Woo?”     

      “Just be nice, okay? They could be alright, you know.” Ten reaches out to squeeze one of Jungwoo’s cheeks. Ten is envious of Jungwoo’s endless compassion. 

      “I’ll try my best, Woo.” He reaches over and sweeps a tender hand across Taeyong’s cheekbone. “Try not to miss me too much, babe.” Taeyong blushes furiously and kicks Ten in the shins. In the next moment Ten is sliding out of the back door with a cackle.

* * *

      The Frat House shares a backyard with the small apartment that Taeyong, Jungwoo and Ten share. Somehow the landlord had failed to mention that in their tour of the home. There’s a small thatch of woods and a rusted fence that separates the two properties but the trees are thin enough that the backyard of The Frat House is visible from their porch. Jungwoo enjoy this on the days that Vomiting Boy goes out there to work-out. Ten flips the latch on the old gate and stomps through the trees to emerge in the backyard of The Frat House. Here he was. The Frat Zone. While walking around the side of the house to get to the front door—he has some home training, alright?—Ten admires the architecture of The Frat House. While he hates everything it houses, he can't deny the beauty of the house itself. The house was two stories high, with both stories having a wrap-around porch with ornate railings and ceiling fans. The siding sported light blue shingles and the roof was a rosy-hued tin. The front of the home had a large, dark-wood door that was sandwiched between two rows of tiny windows. Ten rolled his eyes when he saw the cardboard cutouts of Greek letters that were suspended by twine from the ceiling of the first floor porch. Ten had no idea which frat he was about to encroach upon and frankly he didn’t care. The wood of the porch creaked as Ten climbed up the stairs. It was around noon on a Saturday and he was hoping that this meant that all of the house was dead to the world, stuck in the head cloud of sleep that came before waking up to a god-awful hangover.

  Ten pulls the pink envelope out of the waistband of his shorts and takes a deep breath. Anxiety was flexing her fingers in his chest but he willed her away and all in one shaky breath he slid the letter through the mail slot, knocked on the door for good measure and turned on his heel to flee.

  Just as Ten makes it to the first step with the hopes of returning home to take a shower hot enough to burn away any of the cooties he acquired in The Frat Zone, the sound of a door opening can be heard.   

     “Uh,” a deep voice drawls stupidly from behind Ten. Ten mentally damns Taeyong and Jungwoo, steels himself, and turns around with his coldest expression pulled across his face. Holding the pink envelope in a big, calloused hand is a boy wearing only a pair of low-swung sweatpants. Ten pulls his eyes away from the boy’s tight torso to look in the boy’s face. The boy’s mouth is gaping slightly but his jaw is strong and his lips are full; his eyes look a little unfocused. Could be uglier, teased a voice in Ten’s head that sounded a lot like Jungwoo. The boy was still staring at Ten but was now beginning to scan him up and down with clouded eyes. Ten felt a flash of insecurity when the boy’s eyes stilled at the short hem of his high-waisted jeans where his long nails were tangled in the fraying strings. Ten cleared his throat and brought Shirtless’s eyes back up to his own.

      “That-the envelope-is a letter. From me and friends.” Shirtless looks at the envelope and flips it around in his hand to see where Jungwoo had written ‘To The Frat Boys’ in curling letters.  “We live in the house that backs up to you guy’s and, well, I guess the letter says it best but—“

      “Smells good,” Shirtless grumbles as he holds the letter up under his nose. Ten’s lip curls in irritation at being interrupted.

      “What?” Ten snarks and the boy just looks at him lazily as he continues to run the seam of the envelope under his nose.

      “This envelope smells good. Like good soap or something. Or maybe it’s you.” Shirtless looks like he wants to lean forward and sniff Ten but must realize even in his hazy state that that wasn’t what was done in normal human conversations. “What’s your name?”

      “Ten,” Shirtless opens his mouth and Ten continues before he can talk. “Yes, like the number.” Shirtless clicks his mouth shut and looks contemplative for a moment before his already big eyes grow even wider. Suddenly Shirtless turns around and is yelling up the stairs in what Ten knows to be Korean because of his years of  being friends with Taeyong and hearing all the screaming voicemails his mom leaves him. Shirtless turns to him with a dopey smile and suddenly looks a lot more awake. Ten feels a knot of panic pulling at his gut for some reason that only gets tighter when a tall, imposing boy lumbers down the stairs and comes to loom over Shirtless with a cross look on his face. 

      “The fuck are you yelling at me in Korean for, numb-nuts?” Tall And Angry asks Shirtless roughly before turning and spotting Ten standing out on the porch. Suddenly Tall And Angry’s face melts into something that is somehow both greasy and attractive. Ten feels the panic in his stomach pulse and he pulls at his shorts where they’re brushing at his thigh. 

      “Go jerk yourself or something, Yukhei,” Tall And Not So Angry tells Shirtless, or Yukhei rather, before shoving his grinning face out of sight. Ten can hear Yukhei grumbling as he walks up the stairs and he realizes with a dip in his stomach that Yukhei took the letter with him. Before Ten’s thoughts are able to properly spiral, Tall and Not So Angry leans against the door frame with one long, well-muscled arm and gives him a toothy grin.

         “Hey, I’m Johnny. Johnny Seo. What’s got you on my front porch, bro?” Ten feels the panic in his stomach simmer hotly at the word ‘bro’. By god, where the fuck did Taeyong and Jungwoo send him? He could feel his fight or flight response beginning to shake awake, telling him to wrap it up and get his queer ass home.

         “Oh, it’s a bit of a long story and I’m sure you have a hangover to be nursing. It’s all in that letter your friend has with him so I’ll just let you read that.” Ten gives what he knows to be his prettiest smile and starts to inch back marginally on the porch. Johnny huffs.

          “Nah, that letter’s probably long gone by now,” Johnny intones with a curled lip. His lips have the most interesting shape to them; it was giving Ten a migraine. “Rumor has it things go into Yukhei’s room and are never seen again.” Ten can tell by Johnny’s little snort that he’s supposed to laugh. He does not.

         “Well, I’m sure if you just ask him—.”     

         “I like your nails.”

        Ten sees red. Ten remembers watching the music video for CL’s “Hello Bitches” for the first time and deciding then and there he was getting fake nails; as big and as gaudy as possible. More recently he had been using keratin pills and cuticle oils and had grown his own nails out to be long and thick. They were currently coffin-shaped, just visible when looking at his hands from the palm side and painted a glossy black. Ten was very proud of his nails. They were a repellant for the awful masc-for-masc, self-hating type of man and they made him feel pretty and powerful. Having this Johnny person come for his nails is what finally made the panic in Ten's stomach boil over. Now he was mad.

         “Listen,” Ten snaps, putting his face near Johnny’s. Johnny looks surprised at this turn of events and pulls his head back a little only to have Ten step closer, the heel of his boot now on the threshold of the front door. “Maybe all that cheap beer you’ve been drinking washed away all your brain cells and now you've lost your ability to read but I’m sure someone in this two-story personification of the herpes strain can help you out. Get back my fucking letter from your weird fucking friend and the whole frat can hold a meeting to try and piece together the meaning of it. And if you all collectively fail at basic comprehension I’ll sum it up to you in basic terms: Turn down your god-awful EDM music when you throw your lame-ass parties before I call the cops on you and all your asshole friends.” By now Ten has one of beloved nails pressed into Johnny’s (sturdy, his mind supplies him traitorously) chest. Johnny’s mouth is gaping and his bottom lip keeps twitching as if he wants to say something. Ten doesn’t give him the chance. 

    Turning on his heel, Ten takes the yard in strides until he knows he is concealed by the house’s side. Here, he feels his chest deflate and suddenly all he can hear is Jungwoo’s soft voice telling him to be nice. Dammit. He had tried. Really, he had. It wasn’t his fault Johnny Seo was an anger-provoking homophobe. Whatever, Ten thought as he slammed the rusty gate on The Frat Zone. What Jungwoo didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.


	2. Chamber of Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi! some quick forewords for this chapter: a) I went back and changed the days so ch 1 takes place on saturday and this ch takes place on the following sunday ! b) this fic has 100 kudos and honestly yall that makes me want to cry. that plus all the sweet comments i got really warmed my heart. thank yall so much. i really really appreciate it. c) im going to be updating every week im pretty sure and i dont know know exactly how many chapters this will have. also follow me @ cherrybombjoons bc i might change up my update schedule and ill most likely tweet about it there. anyways. thanks so much!!

    Sundays were for lazing. March was melting into April and it was making the air around town become heavy and languid. Ten blames this hot and heavy weather for his sloth. It was approaching noon and Ten was still laying with his cheek pressed against his silk-cased pillow. His plum-colored comforter was kicked down under his feet and he would pull at it with his toes from time to time as he scrolled through his Twitter feed. He was clothed in only a pair of cotton pajama shorts he knew belonged to the ex-girlfriend of one of his straight roommates from freshman year. She had broken up with the guy abruptly, Ten had soothed the pain with a sloppy blowjob and when The Straight Roommate did laundry a week later he found the shorts and threw them at Ten where he had been sitting, typing up an essay. The Straight Roommate had mumbled something about the shorts being “more up Ten’s alley” without making eye contact; Ten knew a dig at his sexuality when he heard one.

    And yet, he had kept the shorts. Perhaps as a reminder of the feelings of conquest and then anguish at being another notch in The Straight Roommate’s belt. Perhaps because they fell nicely under the curve of his ass. Perhaps because they had pugs wearing sunhats on them. It didn’t matter now to Ten as he pulls them down from where they are attempting to take a hike up his asscrack.

    He rolls over in his bed, throwing his phone to the side and thinks distantly of getting himself off. A little Sunday Morning Delight if you will. Maybe he would think about Shirtless and Johnny Seo making out just to somehow distantly upset their hetero vibes and _not_ because the two were mildly attractive. Just as he slides his hand over his lower stomach, he hears a small knock at his door followed by an even smaller voice calling his name. He pulls his hand back up and rests it above his head on his pillow. Oh well, Shirtless and Johnny Seo didn’t deserve his mental energy anyhow. The door creaks open and Taeyong’s slight face peers in shyly. Ten pats the bed beside him and Taeyong slinks into the room and onto the bed without a sound. He holds himself tightly and distinctly away from Ten’s outstretched arm. Today was a bad day for Taeyong, it would seem. Ten turns on his side towards Taeyong and tries to make eye contact. Taeyong’s puffy eyes stay resolutely glued to the slow swings of the ceiling fan overhead.

 

    “Bad morning, Yong?” Ten asks as softly as he can muster and Taeyong swallows roughly before nodding. Taeyong is wearing a thin, tattered pair of leggings and an oversized hoodie that Ten knows belongs-or rather belonged-to Taeyong’s ex. Ten had told Taeyong time and time again to give the hoodie to Goodwill or even better, back to its owner. Every time, Taeyong would just purse his lips and change the subject, crossing his arms over his chest as if to keep the hoodie as close to him as possible. Ten supposed he had no room to talk about things that ought to have been thrown out long ago.

 

    “Can I cuddle you?” Ten questions and Taeyong seems to think about it with shaking breaths before he moves wordlessly into Ten’s open arms. The second their skin makes contact, the tension in Taeyong’s muscles seems to bleed away and he becomes almost limp against Ten. Ten pulls one of Taeyong’s thin legs over his hip and presses their bodies together, chest-to-chest. Taeyong has his nose pressed into Ten’s neck and Ten feels his heavy exhale as Ten begins to scratch his nails against Taeyong’s scalp.

 

    “Was it a dream you had?” Taeyong stiffens slightly at the question before nodding slowly into Ten’s neck. The sound of Jungwoo puttering about in the kitchen downstairs could be heard over the sounds of Spring pouring in from Ten’s open window. Listening closer, one could hear the scritch-scratch of Ten’s nails through Taeyong's hair, loud among their shallow breathing. If this is how Taeyong wanted to spend his Sunday, Ten would make it so.

 

    “I dreamed he changed his mind,” Taeyong starts before his voice swells with emotion. Ten tuts and pulls him closer against his chest. Taeyong hated crying and Ten could hear him spluttering in an attempt to calm himself down. Ten hums softly and flattens his hand against the back of Taeyong’s head, pulling his face deeper into his neck.

 

    “I’m so stupid, I-I know. And crazy. Like, I know I’m crazy. I’m going to have to tell Janine about this Tuesday. She’s going to give me so much shit for this.” Taeyong was speaking in a rush, his words dog-piling on top of one another but Ten was still able to make out what he was saying.

 

    “Janine is your therapist, it’s her job to listen to your shit, Yong. And I’m sure she’s heard a lot crazier,” Ten promises and Taeyong just mumbles what could be an affirmative. Ten plows on. “Yong, you’re not crazy. It’s normal to have dreams about this kind of stuff. I wish I had better advice. Maybe Jungwoo can help you out. They’ve had relationships end before.” Ten had never dated anyone, meaning he had no idea what to say to a heartbroken Taeyong. It was in moments like these that Ten thought that he would gladly take a broken heart if it meant he had words that could soothe Taeyong.

 

    “Just need you here, s’all that matters,” Taeyong sniffled and Ten feels his heart warm. Two days ago Taeyong had told Ten he wanted to move across the country to get as far away from the nasal sound of Ten's "Getting Dressed" singing as possible and today they were pressed from chest to toe. Thus was the nature of their friendship.

 

    “Alright, Yong. I’m here, sweetheart,” Ten says with a kiss into Taeyong’s greasy pink hair. Taeyong nodded back and Ten knew today was also probably one of Taeyong’s “Quiet Days” where he just didn’t have it in him to make conversation, anxiety holding his tongue tight. They laid silently for a few more minutes before three back-to-back knocks on Ten’s door signified Jungwoo’s presence. Ten lifted his head from the pillow he and Taeyong were sharing to see Jungwoo standing at the edge of the bed with a small, nervous smile on their face, a blue clay mug in their hand, and a black T-shirt with Whitney Houston across the front of it brushing their knees.

    Ten and Taeyong, upon deciding to rent a bigger apartment and asking Jungwoo to stay with them, had discussed how to best make Jungwoo feel included when the two of them already shared an almost decade-long friendship. It wasn’t really too difficult to do, considering how good of company Jungwoo makes. Jungwoo had a gentle soul, always wanting the people around them to be happy. They also had a sly, easy sense of humor that seemed to double in nastiness when they were drinking. But Jungwoo also had a vulnerable side that was a result of a less than healthy upbringing and a few rocky relationships in the past. This insecure side of Jungwoo could be seen now in the way they shifted from foot to foot beside the bed, unsure of whether they should stay or go. Ten shifted his eyes from Taeyong’s thin back to Jungwoo’s open face, trying to convey to them that Taeyong was having a Bad Day. Jungwoo’s eyes widen with realization and they gave Ten a small nod. What a good kid.

 

    “Hey Yongie,” Ten whispers as he ruffles the hairs on the back of Taeyong’s head. “Jungwoo’s here. You okay if they cuddle up with us?” Taeyong was sensitive to being touched during his Bad Days but the second the words leave Ten’s mouth Taeyong throws a bony arm out behind him, grappling against the empty sheets as if he were attempting to reel Jungwoo in. Jungwoo positively beams before sliding in behind Taeyong and pushing their nose into Taeyong’s scalp. Ten reaches for Jungwoo’s hand only to find they were already reaching for his, fingers splayed and palm warm. The three sit in silence, Jungwoo occasionally humming as they scroll through their phone one handed while Ten and Taeyong dozed. It was a good Sunday afternoon, made for lazing.

* * *

    Ten wakes up to the sound of giggling. A look towards the window shows that it's later in the day and that the sun is beginning to go down on their side of town. Taeyong now has his back to Ten and is curled up into Jungwoo, their heads pressed together as they laugh at something on Jungwoo’s phone.

 

    “Shhh,” Ten scolds without heat and two pairs of guilty eyes flicker over to him. He tucks himself around Taeyong and hooks his chin over his shoulder to get a better look at Jungwoo’s phone.

 

    “Sorry, Tennie. I was showing Taeyong that video of that one cute Frat Boy who works out in the backyard. _He_ thinks he’s cute.” Ten hums at Jungwoo’s words, watching as the video zooms in closer on the exercising boy, catches him vomiting in the closest bush before the boy lifts head and stares almost directly into the camera. The video ends with Jungwoo hastily tucking their phone in their pocket. The other two are laughing to themselves but Ten just feels a knot of guilt form in his throat. Vomiting Boy was definitely Shirtless AKA Yukhei and Ten hadn’t realized it until watching the video again. Ten hadn’t thought about yesterday’s events all day until now. He had also skillfully evaded Taeyong and Jungwoo yesterday so he could avoid any of their questions about the Letter Giving. Until:

 

    “You never did tell us about how that went yesterday, Ten.” Jungwoo comments and Ten feels himself start to sweat. He busies his eyes and hands with twirling strands of Taeyong’s hair between his fingertips.

 

    “Oh, it went well.” Ten offers noncommittally. Both Taeyong and Jungwoo turn to him with furrowed brows. Ten was, for lack of a better term, an open book. Every emotion he felt could be seen on his face or heard in his voice. They both knew just from his tone that it, more than likely, did not go well.

 

  “Did something happen, Ten?” Woo asked softly and Ten knew he couldn’t lie to the two of them.

 

    “I-Yeah. Kind of, at least. I guess one of the guys was near the door when I slid the letter through because when I knocked he came and opened it right behind me.” Ten left out the part about the boy being the current object of Jungwoo’s obsession, it just seemed easier that way. “Long story short, one of the assholes who lives there said something stupid about my nails and I guess I wasn’t thinking and I kind of went off on him.” Ten shrugs a shoulder and resolutely doesn’t look either of them in in the eyes.

 

    “One of The Frat Boys made fun of you?” Taeyong croaks up for the first time in a couple of hours and Ten feels his face burn red. Ten was no stranger to bullying, having grown up being both eccentric and unashamed but it still embarrassed him to have to talk about.

 

    “I guess so, yeah.” Taeyong’s eyes narrow marginally and beside him Jungwoo’s pretty lips pull into a frown.

 

    “Well I guess this means War.” Jungwoo declares and Ten snorts. Taeyong looks at him incredulously.

 

    “Ten, seriously! That’s not okay! Where the hell do they get off thinking they can just pick on us? Because we’re different? Because they _think_ they hold some sort of social status over us? Bullshit!” Taeyong’s cheeks are pinking with anger now and Ten rubs a soothing hand over his head.

 

    “Yong, calm down. It’s fine, really.”

 

    “So you’re going to-what was it-allow stereotypes to continue to perpetuate themselves?” Jungwoo counters with a raised eyebrow and Ten internally curses before considering the idea.

 

    “War, huh?” Ten pulls his friends deeper into his embrace. “Alright troops, what’s the game plan?” At this, Jungwoo hops up onto their knees, black t-shirt swishing with the movement.

 

    “Alright, so I’m thinking first step should be infiltration.” Jungwoo slams their fisted right hand into the open palm of their left hand as they rattle off “War Plans”. Taeyong and Ten snuggle up further and prepare themselves for what seems to be a long-winded discussion of how exactly they-Now dubbed Team Queer-should prepare for their takedown of Team Frat. Maybe it was silly. Maybe they would make these well-thought-out plans and never even execute them. It didn’t really matter right now. It was their Sunday night, they could spend it how they liked.

* * *

    “Heard you got your ass handed to you by one of the dudes in the house behind ours.” Johnny jumped at voice that seemed to have come out of nowhere. In his shock, he dropped his controller and in his moment of vulnerability another online player had shot him in the back, booting him out of the game.

 

    “Thanks a lot, asshole. I was doing really good.” Johnny huffed as Jaehyun came to sit down beside him on the bed.

 

    “Your stats say otherwise, bro,” Jaehyun comments causing Johnny to shove him off the futon and onto his ass on the floor where he sits and laughs at Johnny’s sour expression. Jaehyun must get his answer from the taut lines in Johnny’s forehead.

 

    “Damn, I thought Yukhei was lying. You actually _did_ get your ass handed to you by one of those dudes.” Jaehyun’s mouth is gaping a little now and Johnny feels a distant urge to kick him right in the nuts. Hard.

 

    “It wasn't just ‘one of those dudes’. It was Ten.” Johnny mumbles lowly, starting up a new round on his game and avoiding Jaehyun’s eyes.

 

     “The one with the nails?”

 

    “Don’t,” Johnny starts tersely, pressing a little too hard on the buttons of his controller, “mention the nails.” Jaehyun whistles lowly.

 

    “Shit, alright, dude. I won’t.” Johnny still won’t look at Jaehyun but he can just feel that he isn’t ready to drop the subject yet. “So what’re you gonna do now?”

 

    “Well, obviously, I’m not just gonna throw in the towel.” Johnny says with a lot more confidence than he actually feels.

 

    “Hell no, dude. You’re Johnny Fucking Seo.” Jaehyun replies from where he’s leaning aganist the side of futon. Johnny feels something in his throat warm at his friend’s vote of confidence.

  
    “You’re right. I _am_ Johnny Fucking Seo.” The new round loads and Johnny gets two kills within the first ten seconds. Jaehyun whoops and Johnny feels himself smirk. “And I’m sure as hell not going to give up that easy." 


	3. I'll Be On The Floor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi thanks for the continued support i really appreciate it! i'm hoping to get to the Juicy stuff soon. like next chapter soon. BUT i also have a 35 hour work week coming up so i apologize if my update is not perfectly within a week. ill prob update on my twitter. and i think that's it? just thanks again everyone for being little sweeties im so happy to see such a kind and positive response to what i have so far and last but not least: 
> 
> thank you to my beta reader @ Miss_Fandoms_Shakespeare on tumblr :-) thank you for bearing with me when i kept saying "okay ill send it now" and not actually sending it until hours later ! you're the best <3 
> 
> also - chapter title is a lyric from meet me in the hallway by Mr. Harry Styles
> 
>  
> 
> edit 5/26: hi! so i’m pretty sure i won’t be updating until wednesday 5/30 bc i work a closing shift on tuesday (the day i usually update) and i don’t want to throw up a chapter that isn’t my best work plus this next chapter is one i really care about and want to be really good so bc im off wednesday i most likely will be updating that day instead ! okay thank you bye

    Seventeen-year-old Ten had thought himself to be extremely fashion savvy. He had had his own niche fashion that was comprised of pieces he had thrifted or splurged on. Seventeen-year-old Ten had considered his style to be soft goth with a playful vibe. Yes, he actually said those words to people. Yes, his cheeks still burn in embarrassment when he recalls this memory. Religiously, Ten had worn clunky, black boots and a smudged layer of black eyeliner to school, never missing a day. He went through three pairs of black skinny jeans just in his junior year alone. His hair had been shaved sleekly on the sides, a violet streak running through the thicker hair on the top of his head. Seventeen-year-old Ten had had his shit together. 

    Twenty, almost twenty-one-year-old Ten, however, is another story.

    “Ten, I know you have a nine a.m. and I know if I don’t drive you there you won’t go. Please get up,” Taeyong is using his soft voice on Ten but he’s pushing at his arm, hard. Ten just moans sleepily and makes to turn over. Ten hears Taeyong huff before:

    “Jesus fucking--.”

    “Get up now, don’t make me scream in your ear.” Taeyong now has his entirely clothed body draped across Ten’s in the bed. Ten sighs heavily before beginning to shift in the sheets, signifying to Taeyong that he was beginning to rise. Taeyong hops off of him swiftly.

    “Good, thank you for your cooperation. We’re leaving in fifteen.” Ten can hear Taeyong retreating and he pulls himself up out of the bed lazily. Ten groans as he stands, groans as he pulls clothes blindly from his disorganized drawers, groans as he trips into the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. 

 

    Ten pulls on the clothes he had pulled from his drawers and regards himself in the bathroom mirror.  His hair is its natural black color now and it falls over his ears and eyes in soft waves. He thinks it makes him look boyish and cute. He also thinks haircuts are expensive and time-consuming.  

    He’s got on a pair of black, slouchy joggers that are well worn-in and a black crop top he had cut jaggedly with kitchen scissors one morning around dawn. It was printed with a sporadic pattern of faded pink flowers. Ten thought they were roses but maybe they were daisies. Maybe even tulips. The fuck did he know about flowers. Over top he threw on a maroon hoodie that had the words “sexual fantasies” on it. Ten had bought it for Taeyong one Christmas knowing it would a) look really cute on him and b) embarrass him to the point of never wearing it outside of the house. Now the hoodie just belonged to the house at large. The air outside might be sticky with heat but Ten always found himself shivering during his lectures. 

    Ten hears the sound of the front door closing and knows that he only has a few moments before Taeyong is peeling out of the driveway. Ten grabs his phone from the nightstand and his book-bag from the foot of the bed before shoving his feet in a pair of army-style boots and clunking his way down the steps. 

* * *

 

    Biology 102 fucking blows. Biology 101 too but that’s in the past. Now, however, Biology 102 fucking  _ blows _ . It’s a requirement for Ten due to the fact that their university was considered a liberal arts institute. What the hell a sociology major was supposed to glean from two courses of biology was lost on Ten. Ten’s professor was a woman with an affinity for decaled sweaters and the tendency to speak very low. At the back of the lecture hall Ten was just barely able to make out her words but he was usually too distracted by the designs pulled across her ample breast to retain any information anyhow. So it was a small shock to him when he saw the kids around him began to stand and exit the room with their bags as the professor packed away her things. Huh. Looks like class was over. 

 

    Ten shoves his notebook hastily into his book-bag and swings it over his shoulder, shuffling out of the lecture hall and beginning to untangle his headphones when he hears someone calling his name. Ten turns with furrowed eyebrows and scans the busy hallway only to spy one Johnny Seo leaning against a vending machine, greasy smile in place. Ten feels his stomach bubble with something akin to nervousness. Whatever plans had been made the day prior had completely slipped Ten’s mind. He decides the best course of action was to maintain an air of cold indifference. He saunters over, swishing his hips as he goes, trying to convey superiority despite wearing pants that had pinprick holes in the crotch. Johnny’s smile grows the closer Ten gets. Call Ten a freak but something about it is both nauseating and sexy. 

    “Sexual Fantasies, huh?” Johnny questions and Ten feels his eyebrows shoot up. Can Johnny “Frat Boy” Seo read minds? Johnny must notice Ten’s expression because his previously smooth face falls and he splutters red-cheeked pointing to Ten’s chest. “Your hoody. It says that on there. I was just commenting, I guess.” The flush creeps down Johnny’s neck and Ten’s lip quirks up with the feeling of having the upper hand.

 

    “Mhmm. Are you stalking me or something?” Ten asks, cocking his hip to one side. The hallway was empty now with the exception of the pair. Maybe revenge was a harsh word. Maybe Ten thought Johnny Seo was cute when he was embarrassed. Despite these thoughts, Ten knew better than to let his guard down around some straight guy whose biggest pride was probably how many keg stands he could do in one night. 

    “Uh, no,” Johnny replies looking confused and giving a small, nervous laugh. Ten just crosses his arms over his chest and quirks his mouth to one side. Johnny turns and looks into the empty lecture hall before looking back at Ten. An odd expression crosses Johnny’s face for a moment before he seems to realize himself and the greasy smile returns. “No, princess, I’m not stalking you.” 

    Princess. Ten feels his stomach swoop into heat. Princess. Ten did not need Johnny Seo calling him Princess outside of his biology lecture hall at 10:37 a.m. on a Monday morning while he was wearing moth-bitten joggers. Princess. Now, on a Saturday night in a dimly lit bedroom while wearing next to nothing? Princess. Ten jerks his head to the side to straighten out his thoughts. Johnny Seo was straight and most likely mocking him. Again. Ten narrows his eyes menacingly at Johnny before turning on his heel and pulling his book-bag higher up on his shoulder. 

    “Fuck you, Frat Rat.” But Johnny is faster than him. 

    “No, oh my God. I--,” Johnny checks the stupid hot gold watch on his wrist, curses under his breath and holds his frankly massive hands out in front of Ten as if attempting to herd him like cattle. “There’s a party. At our place. It’s on Saturday.”

    “So I should give the police a call in advance is what you’re saying?” Johnny looks extremely out of his element. Ten thinks he has probably never had a conversation before now that required the use of more than one brain cell. 

    “No! Are you always like this?” Johnny looks close to breaking a sweat.

    “What, Gay?” Ten could argue for days on end. Taeyong once asked in earnest if he gets off on it. Ten had just shrugged.

    “Difficult!" 

    “So it’s difficult for you that I’m gay? Because, Mr. Seo I could say--.” A frying pan hand comes down over Ten’s mouth. It feels like there is a fat rodent stomping around in Ten’s stomach or something gross like that. There is definitely no urge in Ten’s mind to stick out his tongue and run it across Johnny’s warm palm. 

    “Holy shit. We’re having a party at my place on Saturday night and you’re invited.” Johnny glances again at his watch and curses out loud this time. He starts to walk backwards away from Ten. “I have an 11 a.m. class across campus. But you should come Saturday, yeah?”

    Ten just balks at him, unable to speak. Ten was being invited to a Frat Party in the Frat House by Frat Boy Johnny Seo? Ten hears Jungwoo’s gentle voice in his head whispering the word “infiltration” and knows this is his chance.

    “Only if my friends can come!” Ten shouts after Johnny’s retreating figure. A big shoulder shrugs.

    “The more, the merrier. Catch you later, bro!” And then he turns a corner and is gone. Ten stands there and wonders what the fuck just happened and more importantly what he was going to wear. Thinking it over he shoves his headphones into his ears and makes his way to his next class.

* * *

 

    Ten had had the day off from work today so he had spent the day napping and studying his biology flashcards mindlessly before starting on dinner. Taeyong was the only one in the house who could actually say they were capable of cooking. Ten just poured two boxes of bowtie noodles into a pot of boiling water and warmed up a saucepan of red sauce and Italian sausage and called that dinner. He knew no one would complain so long as there was food to eat. It was around 9 p.m. and Taeyong and Jungwoo were on their way home from work. Ten thumbed through his phone without paying anything much attention as he thought about the weird exchange he had had with Johnny Seo earlier. He, Taeyong and Jungwoo had a groupchat but they all preferred to share their important and interesting stories face to face over dinner so he hadn’t told them about it when it happened. He had however, sent a series of emojis along with the message: ‘im gonna blow yalls fuckn minds later’. Taeyong and Jungwoo had asked for hints but Ten had not yielded. 

 

    The front door swings open and pulls Ten out of his thoughts Taeyong comes in looking tiny in an oversized dark denim jacket and a pair of black, cloth shorts. He has on black rain-boots and a bright yellow hat and Ten thinks he looks the kid he had met back in grade school. Jungwoo is still wearing the black jeans and black crew neck-shirt that their job requires they wear. They have smile on their face that is so brilliant that it makes Ten smile just upon seeing it.

    “Ten, guess what?” Jungwoo gushes upon crashing into the kitchen. Ten makes grabby hands for them and they scramble into Ten’s lap. They’re a good bit taller than Ten but Ten won’t let a few inches stop him from babying Jungwoo to death.

    “Woo, baby, how about we get our plates first, you looked a little woozy when I picked you up. You need to eat.” Taeyong badgers and Jungwoo pulls themselves up from Ten’s lap and makes a plate of spaghetti. Ten scrolls through the playlist their friend Yuta had made for them to listen to and picks out his favorite songs and queues them before getting up to make his own plate. 

    When they all sit down at the table Jungwoo is squirming in their seat. Ten gives Taeyong a knowing look and they smile at one another before Ten turns to Jungwoo and ask them how their day was.

    “Oh my god, okay. So classes were lame I had my calc class this morning which sucked and I was super confused the whole time _ but  _ after class at work I was like an hour into my shift and guess who came by?” Jungwoo has a grip on Ten’s sleeve by now. Ten slurps a noodle into his mouth loudly.

    “Who, babe?”

 

    “Vomiting boy! Only his name is Lucas!” Jungwoo says his name like “Lu-Kiss” and it makes both Taeyong and Ten coo internally. “And his voice is so deep and his hands are so big and he was so sweet and gave me a three dollar tip when his coffee was only two dollars! It’s the first time I had ever seen him there but he told me I looked familiar so I told him my name and he told he’d have to come back by sometime! Oh, you guys isn’t that so sweet?” Jungwoo’s eyes are glowing and they have their hands clasped under their chin in adoration. Ten had heard Johnny call the boy Yukhei but he was sure that it was the same boy from the video. Perhaps Johnny just gave everyone nicknames that he saw fit. Princess. Ten shook himself. Not again, Demon Johnny Seo.

    “That’s so cute, Woo. He sounds very nice,” Taeyong promises with a soft hand on Jungwoo’s arm. Jungwoo absolutely beams at him. 

 

    “So when are you gonna give him the suck in the employee bathroom?” Ten questions and Taeyong rolls his eyes while Jungwoo breaks out into giggles. 

    “Oh, I don’t know if he is Not Straight. He’s just some cute, dumb boy. No reason to lose my job just for a sad Straight Boy Blowie. He probably won’t come back in so I don’t know if I’ll ever see that angelic face again.” Jungwoo pouts their lips prettily. Taeyong rubs their arm softly.

“Unless…” Ten drags the word out with a kitten-like smirk. Jungwoo turns to him with something akin to hope and Taeyong just looks nervous.

    “What’d you do,” Taeyong accuses.

 

    “Nothing. Yet.” Ten raises a single eyebrow. Taeyong huffs and Ten can see his patience waning. Jungwoo is still on the edge of their seat. “But come Saturday night I may be locking Baby Woo and Vomit Boy in the nearest bathroom for a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

    “Saturday?” Jungwoo tilts their head sweetly.

    “Mm, yes. Saturday. The night of the party that Johnny “Frat Boy” Seo invited us to.” 

    “Oh, no.” Taeyong is putting his fork down and pushing his food away from him. Jungwoo is just sitting, wide-eyed.

    “Oh, Yong, don’t get barfy! It’ll be fun! What happened to infiltration?” Taeyong and Jungwoo just look at each other following Ten's words.

    “I-I guess we just thought we’d never really make it this far.” Taeyong admits and Jungwoo nods in agreement.

    “Well we have! And we are going to enter that Frat House and we are going to make it our Bitch. We are going to show up, be the best looking people in the place and intimidate everyone there. And then we’ll, I don’t know, touch things with our gay hands. I haven’t thought that far in advance yet, I’ll be honest. But! We  _ have  _ to go.” Ten puts on his puppy eyes and Jungwoo and Taeyong seem to break down just a bit.

    “What if someone, like, hurts us?” Taeyong asks in a way that’s a bit raw. Ten bites on his bottom lip for a moment before deciding on an answer.

 

    “Then we’ll hurt them back and get the hell out of there. We’re all adults. We can hold our own. We can defend ourselves. “ Ten knows he sounds a lot more confident than he actually feels. Taeyong still looks nervous but Jungwoo is smiling sweetly again.

    “It _would_ be fun to see how they live. I wonder what it smells like? I wonder if they only drink beer? Oh, I wonder if  _ we’ll _ have to drink beer.” Jungwoo shudders and Ten giggles. Even Taeyong cracks a smile. 

    “Yeah, yeah okay. We can go, I guess.” Taeyong is pushing around noodles on his plate. Ten wishes he’d just eat them. Taeyong looks up suddenly. “But we keep our phones on us at all times and if any of us start to feel weird we leave, immediately.” The other two nod and Ten is happy he managed to convince both of them. He leans over to one side and places a kiss on Taeyong’s cheek before leaning to his other side and planting one on Jungwoo’s.

    “Thank you, I love you two very much,” Ten simpers and digs his fork into a chunk of sausage.

    “Yeah, yeah, save it for that Johnny dude,” Taeyong says as he wipes his cheek off with the sleeve of his jacket. Ten kicks the edge of his chair and Taeyong slips sideways out of his chair with a squawk. Jungwoo chokes on their food in laughter and Ten rushes to Taeyong’s side not having expected him to fall in the way he did. Taeyong shoves Ten hard to the ground before the two start to push at each in what seems to be a weak imitation at wrestling. Taeyong loses when Ten gets a skinny arm around his neck causing Taeyong to have to tap out and Jungwoo continues to eat their dinner while humming. Yuta’s playlist plays on in the background among the chaos. It’s a Monday night.


	4. Silvertongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry it took me so long i also hope you like this chapter i think its my fav so far? thank everyone again for your continued support it means the world to me.
> 
> thank you also to my betas for this chapter @njoon_twt on twitter and @d0ng_y0ung on twitter and ao3. i cant thank you enough for your kind words and all your help!
> 
> chapter title is from silvertongue by young the giant !
> 
> my twitter and cc are both @cherrybombjoons

     Yuta was who Jungwoo went to when they felt like they were at the end of their rope. 

 

    Yuta was a junior philosophy major who had been a part of the college’s LGBTQ+ club since his freshman year. He was the one who had thought of naming the club “Palace”. He said giving the club a name would give newer and older members alike a sense of community and security. When asked what “Palace” meant, Yuta had shrugged, pointed at Ten and said: “Ask the queen”. Ten had feigned offense and everyone at the meeting had snorted and took the joke at face value. 

 

    There was a night last semester, sometime in November, when Yuta and Jungwoo were cuddled in Yuta’s bed watching Naruto on Yuta’s ancient laptop when he talked more honestly about the name. Yuta had been having a bad day, his testosterone injections making the skin around his jaw bloom with new patches of acne and his Worlds Religions professor had called him “ma’am” in front of the entirety of his lecture hall. They had been sitting in silence for half of one episode before Yuta spoke up. His eyes never left the screen as he spoke.

 

    “When I’m with everyone, just talking and being around one another, it feels fucking invincible. Like nothing can hurt us. Nothing can touch us there. It’s like I forget how shit everything is in the real world.” Yuta mumbled, scratching a bump on his chin. Jungwoo had gently tugged Yuta’s hand away from his face and into their lap.

 

    “It’s like we’re in a Palace of our own, yeah?” Jungwoo had giggled and Yuta’s easily pricked Scorpio ego had flared, making him yank his hand out of Jungwoo’s hold with flaming cheeks. 

 

    “I know, it’s fucking cheesy.” Yuta glared at Sasuke’s agile figure on the screen and refused to meet Jungwoo’s eyes. Jungwoo nuzzled their nose along the edge of Yuta’s chin and felt the heat of his flush. 

 

    “I think it’s sweet,” Jungwoo murmured simply before placing a kiss on Yuta’s jaw and returning to their previous position leaning against Yuta’s arm. Yuta had just gurgled an affirmation and turned up the volume on his laptop. 

 

    Jungwoo may have been feeling something bubbly-sweet towards Yuta then. A few days later a young girl, with wide eyes and bitten lips had stumbled in late to one of the Palace meetings, introduced herself as “Winnie” and sat with her eyes glued to the floor the whole time. Jungwoo watched Yuta as Yuta watched the girl for the entirety of the meeting. As soon as Ten had wrapped the meeting up, Yuta had shot up out of his chair and slid into the vacant one beside Winnie, talking a mile a minute as she stared on, mouth gaping. Jungwoo thought they looked cute together. Besides, they had just seen the cutest boy vomiting in their backyard that morning. 

 

    Now, however, they were faced with the prospect of having to be in the presence of aforementioned cute vomiting boy. And speak to him. And impress him. And make him fall in love with them. Or at least like them.

    Jungwoo whined in the back of their throat before grabbing their phone and sending a text to Yuta.

 

**(7:57) Jungwoozie:**

**yutaaa :( what outfit of mine do u think makes me look the most idk..male?**

 

**(8:01) Yutaaaw:**

**Um?? Maybe the black ripped jeans tennie gave you and that striped shirt w a t-shirt over it? And those platform boots!**

 

**(8:03) Yutaaaw:**

**Are you okay? Are you having an off day?**

 

    Jungwoo smiled as their friend’s concern. Yuta, for all his nonchalant and flippant ways, really did care for his friends.

 

**(8:06) Jungwoozie:**

**Yeah, yeah, im fine <3 im just going to a party tonight where i dont know lots of ppl and i just kind of want to blend in haha.**

 

    Jungwoo bites their lip. That’s half true at least.

**(8:08) Yutaaaw:**

**Oh okay i gotcha. Are tennie and yong going too?**

**(8:08) Jungwoozie:**

**yes ! dont worry bub ill be in good company.**

**(8:10) Yutaaaw:**

**Good, good. i hope it goes well. Love you.**

 

    Jungwoo replied with a string of heart emojis before locking their phone and pulling open their heavy chest of drawers to find the outfit Yuta had described. They picked through bralettes of lace and skirts of tweed, chewing on their lip and trying to ignore the thoughts of what outfits they could craft out of the pieces they were tossing to the floor. Once acquiring all the needed elements, Jungwoo balls them up under their arm and heads to the bathroom to change before they lose their resolve.

* * *

 

   “Ten, ow, what the hell.”

    “I told you, don’t scrunch your eyes, just shut them.” 

    “You never said that!”

 

    “Oh. Well, I meant to.”

 

    Taeyong sighs and shuts his eyes softly, allowing Ten to run a synthetic brush coated in brown eyeshadow across his lash line. Ten hums softly and mindlessly runs the thumb holding Taeyong’s jaw in place back and forth across his jawbone. 

 

    “Nervous?” Ten is whispering like if he says it any louder the softness of the moment will be broken. Taeyong swallows roughly.

 

    “Yes.” There’s really no point in lying. He’s nervous. 

 

    “Me and Jungwoo will be there, Yong. There’s no reason to be nervous.” 

 

    “I know, I know. It’ll be fine. I just-I want to try and, I don’t know, talk to other people too. Like get out of my bubble I guess.” The confession is quiet and Ten is a little shocked. Taeyong always prefers a close and small group of friends. He even gets stressed when too many people show up at Palace meetings. Ten knows Taeyong gets frustrated with his own shyness at times and he feels a small spring of pride in his chest at the thought of Taeyong trying to get out of his comfort zone. Ten hums again and uses a fingernail to swipe away some of the eyeshadow fallout.

 

    “Well then, I’m sure the people you end up talking to will be very happy you went out of your way to speak to them.” Taeyong flushes at the praise and Ten chuckles.

 

    Taeyong and Ten are close. Close enough that Ten knows enough complimenting in the right setting can send Taeyong’s entire body up in flames. Head to toe. He had found it useful in the past and has a mental note to himself to share it with Taeyong’s future partner. 

 

    “I’m done, open your eyes.” Taeyong does and Ten can’t help the smile that spreads across his face. Taeyong’s eyes look soft and sultry set deep in the smudges of brown that Ten had painted on his eyelids. Taeyong smiles a little nervously and Ten leans in and kisses the corner of his mouth.

 

    “You look pretty.” Ten’s whispering again. Taeyong shifts so that the next time they kiss it’s on the mouth. It’s soft and it’s careful and they’re both smiling. What had burned so hot between them years ago catches warmth now in the small enclosure of Ten’s bedroom.

 

    “Look at yourself,” Ten gestures to the mirror behind Taeyong. Taeyong turns and the two regard their reflections from where they are folded up on the bed. Both thin, with high cheekbones and lilting, pretty eyes. Ten knocks his head against Taeyong’s, straight black hair rubbing against pink puffs of tousled hair. They smile at their reflections.

 

    “Wow, you guys look really good.” Jungwoo is peeking their head in through the cracked door. 

    “C’mere, Woo. Let us see you.” Jungwoo’s smile falters a bit before they step into the room, tugging at their shirt. They can see the mild surprise on Taeyong and Ten’s face. Jungwoo almost always wears dresses or skirts to parties, they says they dance better that way. They also have an obsession with crop tops, especially after getting their belly button pierced. So their current outfit choice was a little out of character. The silence had stretched on too long. Jungwoo’s eyebrows pinch together.

 

    “I look bad.” They say with a downcast face and Ten and Taeyong trip over each other to refute the claim.

 

    “No!”  “Oh my God, no!”

 

    “You just look...butch,” Ten cautions. Taeyong opens and closes his mouth. Ten was wearing a (knock-off) YSL tank-top tucked into a pair of black jorts. Taeyong had on distressed jeans that were more hole than denim with a baby pink shirt tucked in only in front. They both had a soft layer of makeup on. Jungwoo felt their eyes prickle at the thought of going to a party barefaced. Jungwoo was notorious for showing up to birthday parties with their plush lips painted the birthday haver’s favorite color. 

 

    “You-you are going, right?” Ten asks and Jungwoo can’t help but moan out loud before covering their face with their hands.

 

    “Yes! I-I’m dressed right now!” Jungwoo knew they were whining. They couldn’t help it. They felt so frustrated. 

 

    “Oh, Woo, don’t cry.” Jungwoo wasn’t crying. They were just pressing down really hard on their eyelids. Because they were about to cry. Ten and Taeyong just sit quietly. As if waiting. As if they knew Jungwoo wasn’t telling them something. Jungwoo sighs into their cloth-covered palms.

 

    “I just want Lucas to like me.” Their voice is quiet. Ten and Taeyong allow them to continue on. “I know I was dressed like a boy when he first met me and he kept calling me “man” and I didn’t want to correct him. Be-because I don’t want him getting scared away by all of the weird gender stuff.” 

 

    “Woo, get on the bed.” Jungwoo doesn’t hesitate to insert themself between the two boys, still covering their face.

 

    “First of all, there is no “weird gender stuff”. You’re gender non-binary. That’s all there is to it.” Ten is rubbing his small hand up and down Jungwoo’s back. Taeyong nods along to his words. “Second of all, don’t you want Lucas to like the real you? Not just some iteration of you?” 

 

    “Iteration. That’s a fancy word.”

 

    “Woo.”

 

    “No, I know, I know. You’re right, but he’s just some boy. Who would probably never like me like that anyway. So just getting him to even like some part of me is enough.” Jungwoo’s has lowered their hands from their face by now still won’t look either of the boys in the eyes. Ten opens his mouth but Taeyong is quicker than him.

 

    “If this is what makes you feel the safest and the most comfortable tonight then that’s okay. Right, Ten?” Taeyong is giving him a look that leaves no room for compromise. 

 

    “Right. Of course. We love you, Woo. We just want you to be happy.” 

 

    “Thank you. I love you guys too.” The moment hangs for a second. Jungwoo is more than ready to drop it. “But can we please go drink the rest of what’s left in my Booze Chest before we go to the Frat House?” 

 

    “Like the way you think, sexy.” Ten pulls the two off his bed with sly hands. Pulling them towards certain death. Or at least a pretty bad hangover. 

 

* * *

 

**11:28 p.m.**

    “I thought Boytoy was coming tonight, hyung?” Yukhei is three beers in and already mouthing off. 

 

    “Did you hear that nickname from Jaehyun?” Johnny is nursing a Fireball and Coke from where he’s camped out on the couch in the living room. The place is teeming with people, as it is every Saturday night. Johnny knows a good 65% of them. It’s eleven-thirty, people are starting to get loose and Ten is nowhere in sight.

 

    “Yeah.”

 

    “Well, it’s not funny when he says it and it’s extra not funny when you say it.” Sober Yukhei would have pulled back from the joke. Everything is a constant joke to Drunk Yukhei. So Tipsy Yukhei doesn’t stop either.

 

    “Damn, hyung. You’re really trying to pull him. That’s hilarious.” Johnny repositions his cup in his non-dominant hand and rears up to punch Yukhei in the arm but gets cut off by a voice from behind him:

 

    “Johnny-hyung.” Johnny turns to look over his shoulder and it’s their frat’s new pledge. His name is Mark. His eyes are big and his teeth are little and he doesn’t look a day over sixteen. Johnny has an enormous soft spot for him. 

 

    “Yeah, Mark, what’s up?” Mark has a mostly full beer bottle in his hand and he’s shifting from foot to foot. 

 

    “There’s some um, boy? Yeah, a boy who just walked in with two other guys and he asked where you were.” Johnny can’t help the way he turns and full on smirks at Yukhei. Yukhei just grins goofily back at him.

 

    “Boytoy?”

 

    “Don’t.”

 

    “Hyung?” Mark needs more drinks in him, it’s making Johnny nervous how sober the kid is.

    “Well bring ‘em in here, _ dongsaeng _ .” Johnny feels drunk off of power all the sudden. And maybe the drinks. He downs the remainder of the cup and nudges Yukhei to make him go get Johnny another drink, leaving the space on the couch next to Johnny blissfully open. Johnny checks himself to make sure his fly isn’t unzipped or anything like that. He adjusts his snapback over his hair and then double checks his fly. Then he feels a weight settle beside him. He looks up with his most princely smile.

 

    “Goddammit, Yukhei, move!” Yukhei holds up an almost overflowing cup and gives him a watery look.

 

    “I have your drink though, hyung!” Johnny tries his best not to snatch the drink from Yukhei’s hand while blowing a breath out through his nostrils. 

 

    “Ew, what smells like Fireball and Coke?” Johnny turns and sees Ten sniffing the air with his nose scrunched up. He feels his heart thump distantly in his chest. He’s in all black and the shorts he has on curve around his thighs in a way that makes Johnny’s hands sweat. Behind him is a slight boy with pink hair and an anxious look on his annoyingly pretty face and a taller boy with dark hair parted down the middle, dressed in all black as well. The dark haired boy has his eyes trained on Yukhei’s every movement. 

 

    “It’s hyung’s Fireball and Coke,” Yukhei provides, pushing the cup into Johnny’s hand. Ten rolls his eyes. The pink-haired boy still looks nervous. The dark-haired boy giggles.

 

    “Figures. Anyway. These are my friends and roommates. Meaning they also hate your taste in music. This is Taeyong and this--.” 

 

    “Jungwoo!” Yukhei seems to have just woken up from his beer coma. “Hi, wow. You’re here! In my house!” Jungwoo flushes deeply and just nods smally. Yukhei pats the small space beside him on the couch, beckoning Jungwoo to sit. Maybe it’s the alcohol they had consumed at their apartment but Jungwoo agrees, squishing in the spot beside Yukhei with a small smile. 

  
**11:36 p.m.**

    “I’m going to get a drink.” Taeyong gives Ten a look that he thinks is supposed to reassure him. “I’ll be fine, really.” And then Taeyong takes off into the crowd. Ten stares after his retreating form, worry tickling in his stomach. 

    “Aw, Ten. I’m sorry, man. Looks like there’s just one seat left.” Johnny gestures to his lap and Ten can’t help it when he scoffs. He goes to give Jungwoo a scathing look only to see they’re engrossed in conversation with Yukhei. Johnny is still giving Ten a slippery look. Ten perches himself on the arm of the couch and Johnny seems to be mildly placated. He won’t stop staring up at Ten and it’s making him nervous. 

 

    “Gimme that.” Ten snatches the Fireball and Coke out of Johnny’s hand a gulps down a third of it. Swallowing with difficulty he sees Johnny look up at him in awe. “Got anymore of that overpriced gasoline?” Johnny nods his head dumbly and calls over the small boy from before. Ten gives his and Jungwoo’s drink orders and the boy runs off. Ten crosses one leg over the other and regards Johnny for a moment.

 

    “So do you guys like bathe in Axe or something? This place reeks.”

 

    “Jesus.”

 

**12:13 a.m.**

    Ten’s legs are now sprawled across Johnny’s lap and his head is absolutely swimming. Jungwoo and Yukhei are talking about anime or something equally lame in their corner of the couch. Everyone on the couch is absolutely flushed with drink. Ten had just checked his phone and hadn’t received any SOS texts from Taeyong so he barreled on with a question that had been bugging him since he first met Johnny.

 

    “Why the fuck does Mark call you ‘hyung’? Yukhei too. You get off on it or something?” Johnny laughs at every lewd thing that leaves Ten’s mouth.

 

    “Yeah something like that.” Ten raises an eyebrow but it goes unnoticed by Johnny. “If you did your  _ research _ you’d know we’re an Asian-American frat. And we operate on a respect system. So they call me ‘hyung’ because I’m Korean and older than them. It’s just them being good pledges.” Johnny pats Yukhei on the back forcefully and Yukhei throws them a lopsided smile.

 

    “Sounds boring.” Ten takes a long sip of whatever the fuck is bubbling in his cup. 

 

    “Man, what’s boring is all the Korean Johnny made me learn as part of pledging. I have a five-pound textbook that I’m pretty sure was written for children.” 

 

    “Exactly why you had it, numb-nuts,” Johnny tells him but Yukhei isn’t listening because Jungwoo is asking Yukhei about what it was like to learn Korean from a textbook. Yukhei exclaims loudly and then pulls Jungwoo and himself up from the couch. Both Ten and Johnny’s eyes flit to them. 

 

    “I’m going to take Jungwoo up to my room and show him my Korean textbook, be right back.” Ten sees Jungwoo’s eye twitch at the wrong pronoun use but they’ve made no attempt to correct Yukhei. Johnny is whistling at the pair as they climb the stairs. Ten notices their linked hands and gives Jungwoo a thumbs up. Jungwoo gives him a soft smile in return before disappearing from view.

 

    “Shove over, my ass hurts from sitting on this arm for so long.” Ten kicks out and Johnny slides down the couch, allowing Ten to fall onto the cushion beside him, legs still in Johnny’s lap. The drinks were swirling around in Ten’s head, making him forget what was so bad about Johnny Seo in the first place. It also broke any semblance of filter he might have had previously. 

 

    “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like you’ve done shrooms before. Have you?” Johnny’s head rolls back and he laughs with his chest, the sound getting lost in the noise of the crowd. Mark comes around with another drink for the both of them moments later, during Johnny’s story of the one time he had, in fact, done shrooms.

  
  


**1:01 a.m.**

    The hat that had been pulling that sexy hair back from Johnny’s sexy forehead is now sitting on Ten’s head crookedly, allowing for Johnny’s sexy hair to fall in all directions over his sexy forehead. And that’s about as eloquent as Ten’s thoughts were getting right now. The hat was too big for Ten and it kept falling over his eyes, making him and Johnny bust out in fits of laughter every time it happened. The party was still in full swing and if anything the mass of people seems to have gotten thicker and wilder.

 

    Ten knew he was damn near shitfaced and he could tell Johnny was right there with him. Mark had been bringing them new drinks what seemed like every other minute. Everytime Ten had turned around Mark was there with his baby face and two cups of toxic liquid. Everything had tasted awful and Ten’s lips had started growing more and more numb until now when he could barely feel them. 

 

    “God, Johnny, are your lips, like, numb right now? Mine are so fucking fuzzy and I can’t feel them, I swear.” Ten was smacking his lips together and Johnny just snorted as he held a frankly huge hand up to his lips and started petting them.

 

    “Oh shit, no. I can’t feel mine either. Shit.” Ten’s eyes were zeroed in on the deep V of Johnny’s cupid-bow and he found himself speaking without thinking of the words he was saying.

 

    “I heard if you kiss another guy when your lips are numb, it’s like an automatic “no homo”.” Johnny cocks his head to the side and his eyes fall to Ten’s lips, causing a heat to travel up the back of Ten’s neck.

 

    “That’s so crazy, I heard the same thing. Hmm.” He leans in close to Ten and Ten seems to remember how much he loves to tease, because he pulls his face back and gives Johnny a Cheshire smirk.

 

    “I bet it’s just an old wives’ tale though.” And Johnny looks more than a little put-out. Ten loves it. “Just like the one about feet.” Johnny cocks his head to side, blueballs or whatever is, seemingly forgotten.

 

    “F-Feet?” Ten giggles at his sloppy question and wriggles his toes inside of his shoes.

 

    “Yeah. The whole “big feet means big dick” thing. Totally a scam,” Ten promises with a sense of finality. Johnny hums before he pulls the hat on Ten’s head over his eyes and the pair start cackling wildly again. When they calm down again Johnny looks down at his own feet where they’re nestled in a pair of Nike slides. Ten wishes he didn’t find  _ something _ about it sexy.

 

    “Nah, I think it’s true. I mean my feet are pretty big.” Johnny has a dopey smile pulling across his face and Ten battens down the primal urge in the back of his mind that is begging him to lean forward and stick his whole tongue in Johnny’s mouth. Instead, he settles for next best thing, which is trailing his eyes down to Johnny’s crotch and squinting his eyes. 

 

    “Don’t be so subtle, you jackass. Just go ahead and tell me that you’re--”

 

    “Hyung.” 

 

    Ten and Johnny both snap their heads around to see Mark standing behind the couch, looking as nervous as he had at the beginning of the night despite the fact that he had most definitely been testing out all the drinks he had been bringing out to Johnny and Ten. Ten liked Mark. He reminded him of the babydolls he used to play with when he was younger. 

     “Babydoll Mark! Hi!” Ten’s outburst seems to have shocked Mark because he just stares at Ten for a moment with slowly reddening cheeks before barreling on.

 

     “Al-Alright. Uh, Jaehyun-hyung said I needed to come get you because there’s a boy on the back porch who looks like he’s about vomit.” 

 

    Taeyong. Suddenly the flirtatious bubble Ten had been inhabiting with Johnny had popped harshly around him. The party all at once became too loud and busy and Ten could feel his head pounding. With a shock, Ten realized Jungwoo and Yukhei had never returned and that Ten hadn’t checked his phone in a while. Panic was starting to settle on Ten’s shoulders as he pulled himself up from the couch, still dizzy with drink but feeling a lot more sober than moments before.

 

    “Mark, go find Yukhei and go get my friend from him, okay? You know who I mean, right?” Mark nods furiously before turning around and sprinting up the steps. 

 

    “He won’t even listen to me like that,” Johnny gripes and suddenly Ten has no idea what to do with him. Right now he just needs to find his friends. He can sort whatever the fuck just happened on that couch later.

 

    “How do I get to your goddamn back porch?”

 

**1:18 a.m.**

    “I am so sorry.” 

 

    “Don’t be, really, it’s fine.”

 

    “I just vomited over the side of your porch onto what I’m pretty sure was a hydrangea bush.” The Boy with the strong jaw peers over the edge of the porch and squints his eyes. Taeyong pulls on his shirt.

 

    “Oh my God, please don’t look. Oh my God, I want to die.” Taeyong feels like he’s going to vomit again and he can’t do that because then the Cute Boy in front of him will just think he’s even more of a gross mess than he already does. 

 

    “Woah, hey, how about we try sitting down again?” Taeyong nods and the beautiful Boy just moves him until they are both sitting down on the floor of the porch. 

 

    Taeyong knew he shouldn’t have smoked. It never makes him feel any less anxious and on bad occasions it just makes him feel even worse. He had burst out onto the back porch when the anxiety had gotten too much for him and he had taken a few labored breaths before a strong hand had come down between his shoulders. Taeyong had startled and turned to see that one of the boys he had been smoking with in the living room had followed him outside. The Boy looked even more handsome under the flood lights attached to the back of the house. 

    Now here they were, the boy’s hand a welcome weight on Taeyong’s shoulder as he tried to breath out and in through his nose. He had thought he had texted Ten but maybe he hadn’t. Or worse, maybe Ten just didn’t care anymore, was tired of Taeyong’s anxiety flare-ups. Or worst of all, maybe Ten was hurt. Taeyong opened his mouth to voice his concerns to The Boy beside him before the back door crashed open and Ten followed by Johnny came tumbling out. Taeyong stood up shakily using the railing of the porch as support before Ten launched himself into his arms. Ten’s hand came up to cradle the back of Taeyong’s head.

 

    “Oh my God, Yongie. I’m so sorry, my phone was on silent and I wasn’t paying attention to it like I should have been. I’m so sorry. Are you okay, oh my god.” Ten pulled away to look Taeyong up and down as if searching his body for any signs of injury. Ten was here, he wasn’t hurt and he didn’t stop caring about Taeyong. All of the adrenaline of his anxiety came crashing down on him and suddenly he just wanted to go home and go to bed. With Ten. and Jungwoo.

 

    “I’m fine, Tennie. I just want to go home. Where’s Woo?” Taeyong’s could even feel his eyes growing heavier as he stood there in the spring heat. 

 

    “Coming, they’re coming right now, babe.” Ten pulls Taeyong’s head into the crook of his shoulder. Taeyong hears Johnny move closer to The Boy from earlier. They’re talking in low tones and right now Taeyong doesn’t care to know what they’re talking about, content to pretend he and Ten are in their own little world. 

 

    “Tennie, Yongie.” Jungwoo’s soft voice cuts over the sound of the Frat Boys muttering. Taeyong looks up to see them bounding over toward the pair with reddened cheeks. An imposing boy stands in the threshold of the backdoor, looking between everyone on the porch with confusion. Ten pulls Jungwoo into his arms as well and Taeyong knows this is Ten’s way of trying to remove them from the situation. 

 

    “We’re going home.” Ten is so curt sometimes that it embarasses Taeyong. Ten begins to pull them down the stairs of the porch and Taeyong turns to look at the three boys on the porch who are all looking on with expressions that can only be described as dumbfounded. 

 

    “Thank you for having us,” Taeyong adds on shyly. The Boy waves shortly with a warm smile and Taeyong feels his stomach swoop. Johnny still looks lost, mouth and limbs still. The Imposing Boy steps forward.

 

    “Bye, Jungwoo! I had so much fun, I’m glad we’re best friends now!” Jungwoo makes a choked off noise and the boys on the porch break into laughter. Ten just huffs. When they make it to the bottom of the stairs Jungwoo sniffs the air primly.

 

    “It smells like vomit.” Taeyong hushes them urgently and pulls on their and Ten’s arms with all his might. The three are silent as they glide across the backyard, through the rusted gate and out of the Frat Zone.  

 


	5. Enjoy Right Now, Today

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! hah i'm over a week late to update! i am SO sorry! life has been busy and i do have a job and other Life Hurdles. also this story is my baby and i only want to post a chapter if i feel like it is up to par. i do hope to not go this long again without updating and i do want to apologize for the delay!!
> 
> while im at it ! i want to thank all of you who gives kudos and sweet comments, it means the world to me! also if you want to see exemplary kindness just go to my twitter mentions i have the kindest most lovely mutuals and they are my biggest cheerleaders.
> 
> also! thank you to my dear friend jacky (@jkoutrowings on twt) for being my beta and just a damn good support system <3 <3 <3
> 
> finally: the chapter title comes from enjoy right now, today from tyler, the creator's flower boy album aka one of my fav albums of all time give it a listen 
> 
> im @cherrybombjoons on twt and cc <3

    Ten had had moments in his life he would deem as being rather glamorous. 

 

    For his nineteenth birthday, Ten had bought himself a Gucci belt with all the money he had saved up working during the summer at The Women’s Center For Rehabilitation Thrift Shop in the heart of downtown. Looking in the mirror and seeing the two golden G’s glinting from his slim hips had felt pretty glamorous. 

 

    After months and months of practice and binge-watching makeup tutorials, Ten had perfected a glittery cut-crease just in time for his senior prom. The pink of his tie had been almost identical to the pink shadow in his crease. Glamorous. 

 

    Emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet while Jungwoo holds his bangs back? Not so glamorous. But Ten was a fucking person, alright? People aren’t always glamorous, in fact most of the time people are pretty goddamn disgusting. And the alcohol bomb churning deep in Ten’s stomach is most definitely disgusting and it is fighting its way out, as violently as possible. 

 

    Ten had drunk way too much the night before. Psychology Major Taeyong had told him once before that Ten has an addictive personality and he needs to moderate the things he enjoyed. He knew it was true, but it wasn’t fun. 

 

    So here he was, sick to his stomach with a hangover, Jungwoo attempting to soothe him with gentle coos and hums. Taeyong is sitting on Ten’s bed, asking Jungwoo how warm Ten’s forehead felt from time to time. Taeyong is the “I see vomit, I vomit” type of person. Ten heaves again and Jungwoo sucks in a breath through their teeth. The toilet flushes. Ten hears Taeyong’s voice rise softly in greeting before the squeaky slide of Vans against the bathroom tile can be heard.

 

    “Jesus, Nine, how much did you drink last night?” Ten groans from where his head rests on his kneecaps. Jungwoo hops up from where they had been rubbing Ten’s back, making Ten curl into himself more.

  “Fuck you, Yuta,” Ten spits and Yuta and Jungwoo smile in tandem. Ten looks up at the pair with a glare. Jungwoo is tucked against Yuta’s side with Yuta’s arm wrapped firmly around their waste. Cute. Ten could vomit. Again. 

 

    “Yeah, yeah. I brought you a chicken biscuit from that shitty place on Broad Street.” Ten narrows his eyes at Yuta and points a shaking finger at him.

 

    “If you’re lying to me—.” Ten doesn’t take breakfast foods lightly.

 

    “I’m not lying. I’ve never lied a day in my life.” Ten scoffs. Jungwoo giggles. “It’s downstairs, hot and ready for you just as soon as you gargle the puke out of your mouth.” Yuta turns to leave the bathroom and take a clinging Jungwoo with him. Ten mumbles something about fake friends but still turns the faucet on to cup some water into his mouth for gargling purposes.

* * *

   

    Taeyong had been feeling a little stifled all morning long. His skin too tight and his head too loose. It was not uncommon to how he usually felt after an especially large bout of anxiety.

 

    So when Ten had commented on Yuta’s newly growing stubble while running his hands through the hairs with crumb covered fingers, Taeyong had slid his chair back from the kitchen table, grabbed his mug of coffee and made a hasty retreat. 

 

    It was approaching noon on an April day and the sun is beating down meanly on to the back porch of the apartment. Taeyong deposits himself softly into one of the outdoors chairs that fell under the shroud of shadow cast by the back of the house. The air is mostly still, with the occasional air kicking up leaves and clouds of dirt. Taeyong closes his eyes and presses the warm ceramic of the mug against his cheek, breathing out slowly through his nose. He stays with his eyes closed for a moment, seemingly losing himself in the act for he startles when he hears the loud sound of someone clearing their throat from across the porch. 

 

    Taeyong turns to look over his shoulder, preparing to glare at Yuta or Ten, only to see The Boy from the night before is standing there, awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot. His hair is being pull back by a snapback, a pair of wire-rimmed glasses sit on the bridge of his nose and somehow in this heat he is wearing a pair of sweatpants. Taeyong takes mental stock of himself and the fact that he is wearing no makeup, a pair of thin leggings and an oversized T-shirt he knows used to be his younger brother’s. Taeyong pulls his knees up into his chest in a futile attempt to try and conceal himself. 

 

    “Um,” Taeyong calls out dumbly. The Boy opens and closes his mouth a few times before holding his hand out to where he’s white knuckling what looks like a tangle of threads. He’s still a good five feet away from Taeyong.

 

    “Yours. This is. I think. Uhm.” The Boy opens his palm and Taeyong leans forward in his seat to see that in his palm is a thin, crushed-velvet choker. Taeyong rises without thinking and snatches it out of the boy’s hand before backing up to put space between them once again. They stay staring at each other, the air charged with awkwardness. Taeyong is flushing up to his ears. 

 

    “Uh. Thanks.” The Boy just nods and seems to be contemplating on whether on or not he should say what he is thinking. Eventually he seems to come to a decision, looking Taeyong in the eyes without wavering.

 

    “You, uh, took it off last night before you went outside. I guess it was choking you.” The Boy’s eyes crinkle up and Taeyong stares back blankly but feels his stomach twist. “Because it’s a choker, yeah?”

 

    “Uh, yeah.” More staring, more sizing up. More of Taeyong wondering why he was here in the first place. Why This Boy who doesn’t know Taeyong went out of his way to bring this cheap piece of jewelry back to Taeyong. “Well, thank you.”

 

    “‘Course.” The Boy chews on his lip for a moment. “Are you feeling better? Last night you were pretty—.”

 

    “Yes, I’m fine.” Taeyong cuts him off, not wanting to hear whatever judgment was about to be passed on himself. The Boy looks a little hurt and a lot confused and it’s guilt and the sudden need for This Boy to like him that makes him plow on. “I-I have pretty bad anxiety and I’ve had past experiences where smoking made it worse so I don’t know why I smoked again last night but I did and, well, you know. I got really anxious. Sorry if I acted weird or ruined your night or something.” Taeyong is looking at a point beyond The Boy’s face but he still sees him nod.

 

    “You weren’t weird and my night wasn’t ruined, dude. It’s just,” The Boy’s pretty lips purse for a moment, “smoking makes your anxiety worse?” Taeyong shrugs a meager shoulder and then nods minutely.  

 

    “Have you only smoked at parties?” The Boy’s question makes Taeyong pause and consider it. 

 

    “I think so. I’ve never gone out of my way to smoke on my own or with just my friends.” Taeyong focuses on where a small bird is bobbing up and down on a distant tree branch. The Boy is still trying to make eye contact. “Guess it’s not my thing.”

 

    The Boy narrows his eyes at Taeyong again, and Taeyong can almost hear the gears in The Boy’s head grinding against one another but still The Boy stays silent. Taeyong is nervous, (but not anxious), in his presence and he considers thanking him once more and ducking into the house when The Boy suddenly speaks.

 

    “Do you want to smoke with me. Like, right now?” The words fall out of The Boy’s thick lips messily. 

 

    “Weed?” The Boy snorts and Taeyong feels that tight feeling in his stomach again. 

 

    “Yeah, weed. I hate to sound like  _ That Guy  _ but weed really can help with anxiety if smoked in the right circumstances and all. I  _ am _ a pharmacology major,” The Boy smirks for a moment before adopting that concerned look once again. “But of course, you don’t have to. I mean you don’t even know me, I guess.”

 

    Taeyong takes another mental stock. He hadn’t known This Boy a mere 48 hours ago. This Boy is a Frat Boy and he should be on Taeyong’s “No-No” list. Weed has never made his anxiety any better. He is still not wearing makeup. Jungwoo would warn against it and Ten would straight up say no. On the pros list is The Boy’s careful smile and his nervous shifting. Also on the pros list is Taeyong’s absolutely buzzing mania telling him to go for it without even looking back. Mental stock taken.

 

    “What’s your name?” 

 

    “Jaehyun.” Taeyong hears the careful way he pronounces the syllables, the way his lips and tongue move together and he knows his mind is already made up.

 

    “Alright, Jaehyun. Let’s get fucked.” 

* * *

  
  


    When Taeyong had told Jaehyun he had only smoked bongs before, Jaehyun’s eyes flew open and he laughed lowly.

 

    “No wonder you get fucking anxiety. As little as you are?” Taeyong feels his face heat up. He opens his mouth to refute the claims about his size and Jaehyun takes the opportunity to primly tuck a joint into the space between his teeth. Taeyong curls his lips around it and looks up to where Jaehyun is watching his mouth.

 

    “I’m gonna light it, okay? And I want you to breath in real slow until you feel your mouth sort of fill up with smoke. Don’t try and inhale any more than what you can handle.” Taeyong nods his head and the joint waggles between his lips. Jaehyun smiles and shallow dimples can be seen. Cute. 

 

    Jaehyun lights the blunt and Taeyong inhales like he was told until he can feel the smoke tickling at the opening of his throat. His eyes move to meet Jaehyun’s. He’s smoked time and time before but for some reason, here, in Jaehyun’s bedroom, on the edge of his unmade bed, Taeyong wants to ask Jaehyun what to do. He wants to follow his lead. 

 

    “Okay, now just hold it there for a little bit. Let it soak in and pull the blunt out.” Taeyong does so with slightly puffed cheeks. Jaehyun’s knee is touching his own, his face leaning forward into Taeyong’s space. “And let the smoke out, slowly. Don’t try and swallow any, it’ll fuck up your throat.” Taeyong does as he’s told and only coughs once before he hands the joint over to a beaming Jaehyun. 

    “Awesome, dude. Great job. Tell me how you’re feeling in a few minutes and you can take another hit if you’re up to it.” Taeyong nods his head again and runs his tongue over his lips, tasting the white grape flavored residue the wrapping paper had left behind. Jaehyun gets off the bed and begins to grope around the area beside his bed. Taeyong looks around the room and can’t help but find it endearing. There aren’t pictures of naked girls or car engines or whatever Taeyong had thought would adorn the walls. Instead the room is simple. A white-covered bed held aloft on wooden pallets. Barren walls, a small plant in the corner of the room that looks moderately maintained. There are some clothes on the floor but the trash can is empty and the wooden desk across the room is free of clutter. Huh.

 

    Jaehyun is fussing around on his hands and knees beside the bed with what Taeyong later learns is a speaker. He hears Jaehyun take a deep inhale, hold it and then release it before his head pops along with a blunt-laden hand. 

 

“You feeling okay?” Taeyong nods. “You want another hit?” Taeyong nods again and accepts the blunt from a grinning Jaehyun who returns to his position in front of the speaker. “Hey, bro, you cool if I play some Mac DeMarco?”

 

    Shit. Taeyong hated Mac DeMarco. Granted it may only be because his ex-boyfriend would always play that fucking “Viceroy” song whenever the pair would go on drives around town. Either way. The music had a kitchy, sun-bleached sound that Taeyong couldn’t stand. Taeyong looked between the glowing cherry of the blunt and the blonde fluff of the top of Jaehyun’s head, barely visible over the edge of the bed. He took a deep drag of the blunt and coughed a little.

 

    “Sure. Playing fucking DeMarco.”

* * *

 

    It’s been an hour and a half since Taeyong took his first hit but it feels as if it’s only been minutes. Maybe half an hour, tops. Speaking of tops. Taeyong rolls his head to see where Jaehyun is twirling his fingers along to the music with his eyes closed and his lips pulling up on one side. Taeyong giggles to himself and puts a small hand over his mouth. Jaehyun cracks open one eyes and looks over at Taeyong. He laughs at Taeyong laughing which makes Taeyong laugh more. Imagine that.

 

    “What’s funny?” Both of Jaehyun’s eyes are open now and his face is now turned to look into Taeyong’s. They’re sharing one pillow. Their bodies are touching at their shoulders, hips and knees. Taeyong should feel nervous but instead he just feels heat pulsing at the points where they are touching. His head feels heavy and soft at once. 

 

    “Top. In bed with a top. Me. I’m,” Taeyong breaks off into laughter and he covers his face with both his hands now and Jaehyun just continues to chuckle lowly.

 

    “I knew you just were smoking in the wrong places. Look at you, giggling like a little girl. Fucking adorable.” Taeyong hears the “adorable” but only registers the “little girl” and in a Ten-like burst of defiance he purses a bottom lip and turns so that their noses are almost touching. 

 

    “So I’m a little girl just because I’m gay?” Taeyong doesn’t know what he expected but it wasn’t for Jaehyun to roll his head back with silent laughter, while his big hand reached around to grab Taeyong’s. The position was awkward and both of their hands were sweaty but the weight of it made Taeyong’s heart speed up.

 

    “You sound like your friend. No, dude, you sound like a little girl because I got you stoned and you’re enjoying yourself. It’s a good thing.” Jaehyun’s lips are drooping a bit as he talks and his eyes flutter across Taeyong’s face. He takes a deep breath and makes to look Taeyong in the eyes again. “Besides. I don’t care about shit like that. I’m, like, bi, so.” Taeyong pushes himself up on to his elbows and studies Jaehyun’s face for any sign of mirth or jest. None can be found. He’s looking up at Taeyong with an open expression that looks like it’s toeing the edge of nervousness. Taeyong just lays back down once more, staring up at the cream of the popcorn ceiling.

 

    “Like, bisexual?” Jaehyun nods wordlessly, the first time since the porch he’s succumb to silence. “Oh, alright.” They sit in silence for a moment, Taeyong’s brain trying its hardest to compute this new information but the drug-induced haze is making it hard. 

 

    “I, um. Don’t usually tell people that. I wanted to tell you. I don’t know. It seemed like the right thing to do a second ago, but now I’m a little nervous that—.”

 

    “Jaehyun.” Taeyong cuts off his rambling and squeezes their still intertwined hands. “I won’t tell anyone. It’s not anyone’s business anyway. Thank you for telling me.” Jaehyun’s smile is soft but blinding and Taeyong knows if he had time he’d bask in it all day. Something in the back of Taeyong’s mind tells him maybe he should pull away, thank Jaehyun for whatever this was and return home. The other part of him is just really tired.

 

    “Can we nap?” Jaehyun nods, tugs the wire rimmed glasses off of his face, scrubs his eyes and within minutes is already breathing heavily beside Taeyong. Taeyong has a nasty urge to run his hands through the tousled blonde strands of Jaehyun’s hair. He wills it away, closes his eyes and curls up in a ball, only touching Jaehyun with the small of his back against Jaehyun’s arm and sleeps. 

* * *

 

    When Taeyong wakes up, he is warm and his left leg is numb. He smacks his lips together and goes to move his leg only to find it stuck between Jaehyun’s thighs. The pair are face to face, legs tangled together and Taeyong blushes bright red as he realizes he only had the nerve to be this close to this boy when he was high. And if the loss of light in the sky is any indication, many hours have past and his high has mostly worn off. 

 

    It was time to go. 

 

  Taeyong tugs his leg harder this time and is able to disentangle himself from Jaehyun’s hold. Jaehyun grumbles and smushes his face deeper into the pillow but does not wake. Taeyong stares at him and feels his chest warm in a way that makes Taeyong nervous. He should go. He should just leave this day behind and pretend none of this happened. His mania has waned by now and his toes and scalp are tingling with anxiety, with the need to flee. 

 

    He pulls on both of his boots and makes it halfway to the door before he turns and looks at Jaehyun’s dozing figure. He burns with guilt, with something akin to want. 

 

    “Jesus Christ,” Taeyong mumbles under his breath as he softly steps over to Jaehyun’s desk and scribbles down a note using the closest pen and paper. He thanks Jaehyun for the day, and asks him how much he owes him for the weed. Taeyong thinks for a moment and with a shaking hand he hastily writes down his phone number, signs the note and hauls ass out of Jaehyun’s room. 

 

    Jaehyun’s room, like all the bedrooms in the Frat House is on the second story and he winces as he takes the creaky staircase downstairs. He and Jaehyun had walked in through the back door and Taeyong almost had the sliding door leading to the back porch open when Johnny trudges heavily into the kitchen. He puts a dirty bowl in the sink and stares with squinted eyes at a frozen Taeyong, seemingly confused as to why he was in their home but not overly intrigued. 

 

    “Taehyung?” Johnny sounds like he hasn’t spoken all day until now. His hair is fluffed up in the back and his lips are swollen like he had been sleeping.

 

    “Taeyong.”

 

    “Ah.” Johnny doesn’t push further.

 

    “I was just leaving.”  This seems to incite Johnny because he trips over himself to put a giant hand over the handle of the back door.

 

    “Wait. You live with Ten, right?” Taeyong nods reluctantly at the question and Johnny grins. “Great, bro. Would you mind giving him my number. I meant to give it to him but I forgot to. Wrote it down and everything like we’re in some shitty 80’s movie.” He’s laughing but Taeyong can feel his hands fumble as he places a crumpled up piece of paper into Taeyong’s open palm. Taeyong looks between the ball of yellow paper and Johnny's uneasy expression. What exactly this boy wants with Ten, Taeyong doesn’t know.

 

    “Well, bye.” Johnny slides the door open for Taeyong and Taeyong slips out with an incline of his head and jumps when the door slams shut behind him. Weird.

* * *

 

    “You’ve been  _ missing  _ all fucking day and you expect me to care about the fact that some gross Frat Boy gave me his number?!” There’s a vein protruding in Ten’s neck and Taeyong rubs his temples and hopes to God it doesn’t burst. Taeyong’s phone is held firmly in Ten’s grasp. Looks like Taeyong left it behind earlier. Oops. Ten leans in a hair’s breadth from Taeyong and inhales deeply. “You smell like fucking weed. Why do you smell like fucking weed, Taeyong?” 

 

    “Can you please just stop yelling,” Taeyong is whispering because sometime after he got home and the high fully wore off, he developed an anxiety rooted migraine. He knows Ten is yelling because he cares but Taeyong is entirely just not in the mood. Taeyong is under multiple blankets in his bed where he had been hoping to just fall into a deep sleep only to have Ten slam his door open, all screeching voice and sharp elbows. Taeyong thought fishing Johnny’s number out of his pocket and tossing it Ten’s direction would distract him from his barrage of questioning. He was wrong. 

 

    “I was really worried, Yong. So were Woo and Yuta. You were quiet at breakfast, you get up and go outside out of nowhere and then when I go out to try and find you, I can’t. For hours on end. When I found your phone in your room, I almost went hysterical, Taeyong. You could’ve been hurt and I would’ve had no idea.” Ten’s words come out in a rush and he’s rocking a little in his place on the edge of Taeyong’s bed. 

 

    “I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry.” It’s all Taeyong offers and Ten looks at him with worried eyes as he gnaws at his bottom lip. One of his hands comes up to play with Taeyong’s bangs and Taeyong closes his eyes, still only wanting to go to sleep. 

 

    “Where were you?” Ten is speaking lowly now, his hand cupping Taeyong’s slight chin in his hand. Taeyong keeps his eyes closed and just shakes his head. Ten must realize he’s not getting anything else out of Taeyong for the night. He sighs. Then he leans forward and presses a dry kiss against Taeyong’s lips. 

 

    “I love you.” Taeyong just nods. He feels Ten get up from the bed and he hears the click of his door closing. Ten had left Taeyong’s phone somewhere in the layers of Taeyong’s duvet. The battery should be fine and the alarm that wakes him up for his morning class should be on. Taeyong rolls over, closes his eyes and tries to think of nothing at all.

* * *

 

**(9:57) Unknown:**

 

**Hey dude, it’s Jaehyun. Don’t worry about paying me back for the weed. We should hang out again sometime.**

 

**(9:58) Unknown:**

 

**But like, only if you want to.**

* * *

  
  


**(9:57) Unknown:**

**johnny. It’s ten. I have a question to ask.**

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading ! yalls sweet comments make my day ! my twitter is @cherrybombjoons


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